Book: Risk the Play by Kaylee Ryan
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4.5/5
ARC REVIEW
Risk the Play by Kaylee Ryan
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5)
I really loved Will and Amanda’s forbidden best friend’s dad romance. This trope can go sideways fast if the setup feels uncomfortable, but Kaylee Ryan handled it in a way that felt mature and grounded. Will was largely absent from Bellamy’s life after his divorce when she was young, and Amanda didn’t grow up around him, which removes a lot of the awkwardness that can sometimes come with this dynamic. By the time they truly enter each other’s lives, Amanda is a full adult, navigating her own struggles, making the relationship feel natural despite the age gap.
Amanda’s storyline honestly broke my heart a little. After her ex cheats on her during the adoption process, she’s left raising an infant largely on her own while carrying an overwhelming amount of guilt and pressure. I really felt for her throughout the book. She struggles to lean on the people around her, even when they want to help, and that emotional isolation makes her easy to root for. Add in developing feelings for her best friend’s father, and the emotional messiness of it all just works.
And Will? This man is basically the blueprint for “good man” energy. He’s patient, attentive, emotionally mature, and so deeply caring that he never feels overbearing. One of my favorite things about him is how openly he communicates. He doesn’t play games with Amanda, and he’s constantly thinking about how his actions could affect Bellamy and the fragile relationship they rebuilt. The fact that he wants honesty from the start because he’s terrified of damaging that trust again says so much about his character.
I also absolutely melted over the quieter moments between Will, Amanda, and Mia. This isn’t a flashy or overly dramatic romance—it’s built through pizza nights, movies on the couch, cuddling in bed, and slowly becoming a family without even realizing it. The slow burn feels incredibly earned because their relationship develops through consistency and showing up for each other day after day.
And since this is the final book in the Nashville Rampage series, the group scenes hit especially hard. Kaylee Ryan always excels at creating found-family dynamics, and I loved seeing all the previous couples rally around Amanda and Mia so that she never truly has to do things alone.
Overall, this is warm, emotional, and deeply comforting—the kind of romance that feels less about grand gestures and more about choosing each other every single day.
Perfect for readers who love slow burns, found family, and MMCs who prove love through actions.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC!